Losing only .5 lbs a week is so discouraging.

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Polo265
Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all - Although I set my MFP to lose 2 lbs per week, it still sets my calories at 1200 daily. I am synced to my Fitbit and accordingly, it says I should lose .7 lbs a week. I am eating back many of my exercise calories and believe I am weighing, measuring and logging accurately. Today is Day 6 and I've only lost 6 ounces. I realize, given my age (I will be 68 soon) that I probably need to lose slowly to avoid muscle loss. Nonetheless it's discouraging. Hopefully by tomorrow my scale will reflect another 5 or 6 ounces lost. Anyway, it looks like this week I won't even lose .5 lbs, though MFP says I should be losing .7. I may have to do some tweaking somewhere. :( Heavy sigh!
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    How much do you have to lose total? 2lbs may not be an appropriate goal. .5 a week when you have a smaller amount to lose is excellent. And as mentioned above 6 days is too soon to start panicking.

    This. And as you realized that you won't get a goal under 1200 calories, it's going to be too aggressive. Especially given your age.
  • hale03071
    hale03071 Posts: 63 Member
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    You didn't gain 2 lbs in a week did you? I know its frustrating, some weeks I lose nothing and some I'll lose 2 lbs that's why I stopped weighing myself weekly and only do it every other week so I see some progress that is mentally satisfying.
  • Polo265
    Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    How much do you have to lose total? 2lbs may not be an appropriate goal. .5 a week when you have a smaller amount to lose is excellent. And as mentioned above 6 days is too soon to start panicking.

    I gained 30-35 lbs in 10 months. I hurt my shoulder in September and could not participate in usual activities (golf, swimming, pickleball (like tennis for old people), I had rotator cuff surgery in January and couldn't even walk for exercise because my gait was off with the sling. I couldn't even ride a bicycle until recently because it hurt to put pressure on the handlebars. Inactivity was a huge problem, but that led to depression, overeating and drinking.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
    edited July 2017
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    No matter what some people may believe, it IS harder to lose when you are older. It took me 2 years to lose 30 pounds. Some weeks I'd lose a pound and some weeks nothing, but it came off eventually and I was having fun working at it. Now I'm fluctuating up and down the same 2-3 pounds for the past 6 months, but I still want to drop another 10. I'm patient and having a good time.

    I had to tweak a few things to make it work for me (57 yr old female). I increased my calories to around 1400 a day, which was my TDEE less around 20%. That enabled me to have more energy for workouts. I exercise 5-6 days a week and normally eat back about 50% of my exercise calories, but not always. When I don't I see a weight loss, so I know it's those extra exercise calories (plus alcohol) that has me in a stall.

    You'll figure it out. Just don't get discouraged by a small loss right away.

    Do you have a swimming pool nearby? I go to aquasize class and it is really easy on the joints. We have many older people in the class and a few with recent hip or knee replacements. The class I go to is geared towards strength and balance, so it's perfect for "mature" folks!
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
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    If you've only got 30 -35 pounds to lose a pound a week is really what you should be looking at (probably the same time frame you put it on) and as others said you really don't get an idea of your rate of loss until you're a few weeks in anyway since the change of diet and definitely if there's a change in activity level will mean your water retention is all over the place and will give false readings on the scales. 6 days is not long enough to assess, give it time. x
  • edlanglais5
    edlanglais5 Posts: 172 Member
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    Something is always better than nothing.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    Early days! And honestly, I think .5 a week is a great goal. Making big changes may lead to faster loss, but slow changes are more likely to stick!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    I'm 66 and am in the fresh flush of pounds falling away BUT those have been the pounds between the 280s and the 260s. I know this pace will not continue. When I'm down working on the 180s to the 160s, the pace will seem glacial. But the important thing is developing the healthy habit of eating so that weight is decreasing toward a healthy level not beating a hasty retreat back up to the 280s.
  • 21ttomlinson
    21ttomlinson Posts: 20 Member
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    Omg you should be so proud of your self, 5lb is amazing, I would love to loose that amount in a week. You keep the good work up
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Maxematics wrote: »
    It's been six days! Weight loss is not linear
    Be patient.

    This^^

    Patience is your best friend in this process. There are some people when they first start, who don't see a loss on the scale for 2-3 weeks. You're seeing something, at least! You did not gain all of your weight in a week, it won't come off in a week, either.
    These days when I try to lose weight, it's about 2 lbs a month, and the scale drops only about once a month. It's annoying, but definitely better than going up!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    You need to give this more time. It will take time to see a trend, and only then can you judge how fast you are losing. One weigh in is just a single number and there are many things that can affect that number, not just fat loss.

    I know it is frustrating, but you need to keep going consistently and be patient. If you stay consistent and accurate, you will see results.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Half a pound a week is good. Keep going.
  • maurihart
    maurihart Posts: 51 Member
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    Be patient!!! It's taken me 7 months to lose 20 pounds but it's better than gaining 20 in 7 months. You can't tell much of anything in 6 days. Give it 6 weeks and then see how it's going! Good luck!!

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